Toeing Out

[Zoey3]

I am looking for another mini colt.

I went to a large farm and a few of them were toeing out in the back legs.

Is this common for foals to do this? Can it be corrected with proper hoof trimming? I want to show this mini in driving and do not want him to be toed out.

Thanks

 

[Carolyn R]

You need to look at the parents and any other offspring they have produced. Slight toeing out in the back end is not uncommon in a young foal, it is a way for their legs to compensate for the width of their "barrel". If it is slight it should correct as the foal grows and muscles up, but this is why it is important for you to check out the parents and any older offspring. It is a big no no to try to correct this with trimming at this age. Once their body muscles up and corrects, their legs will overcorrect due to the trims and you will have a whole other set of issues. It is best to trim any mini in a way that is natural for their feet. Overmanipulating their hooves creates more issues.

 

[Minimor]

It is a big no no to try to correct this with trimming at this age. Once their body muscles up and corrects, their legs will overcorrect due to the trims and you will have a whole other set of issues. It is best to trim any mini in a way that is natural for their feet. Overmanipulating their hooves creates more issues.

This is so not true!
If a foal is truly destined to be very cowhocked at maturity, you're not going to be able to totally correct that with trimming, but you may be able to help somewhat. Doing corrective trimming on a foal is not going to cause problems in the horse later...provided of course that you don't do it to an extreme, beyond what should be done...

Fact is, many foals do not get their feet trimmed on a regular basis, and these foals can become crooked as a result...or some people trim their foals without knowing how to do it properly, and so they trim them crooked....also resulting in crooked legs on those foals. In either case proper trimming will straighten them up nicely. You don't even have to do corrective trimming to fix them, you just trim them correctly and that's all it takes--as soon as the hoof is trimmed level on these foals, the leg straightens up. Been there, done that, many times on foals I have bought. I have bought other foals that were not straight legged even with a proper trim, and I have done a slight correction on them--they will never be as straight as the others, but they won't be as crooked as they were when I got them as weanlings.....and I won't continue to correct them beyond the age of 12-18 months.

It is a bad thing to run a correction on a mature horse--that is when it is bad for the horse's legs & can cause a whole 'nother set of problems--but on a foal some corrective trimming can make a huge difference.

 

[bevann]

I agree with Minimor.I have had many foals trimmed as early as 2 weeks and my foals were always trimmed once a month until 18 months of age.Farriers were knowledgeable and knew how to do corrective work.I have also done physical therapy on Mini legs(somewhat crooked and kicked out at the knees)as early as 1 week.Nice straight legs when mature.Little bones and joints are pliable at an early age.Get someone who knows what they are doing to help you.Good luck and keep us posted.I wish I were closer-I would love to share my experiences with you.

 

[attwoode]

I think Carolyn R and Minimor are saying the same thing in their own ways....make sure the foal gets proper, regular trims and then consider if some corrective trimming is necessary. I've also learned that simply squaring the toe can help with break over point and straighten them naturally without lowering heal.

 

[Carolyn R]

I think Carolyn R and Minimor are saying the same thing in their own ways....make sure the foal gets proper, regular trims and then consider if some corrective trimming is necessary. I've also learned that simply squaring the toe can help with break over point and straighten them naturally without lowering heal.

You are correct, that is why I put the last statement that "Overmanipulating their hooves creates more issues".

Trust me, I am not new to horses, unless 25+ years with them is new, LOL. It is imperitive that the hoof is balanced,and yes, foals should have their feet trimmed often, just not overmanipulated, esp. for mild toeing in a very young foal. Minimor and Bevann, the poster was inquiring about toeing out in foals, as far as anything drastic, I would leave that to the professionals (but IMHO if it were drastic issues, I don't think it would be something I would consider for serious driving down the road)

ZOEY3 it is good that you are asking these questions now and not just going into things blindly. If you are unsure of the severity of the toeing, if it is an acceptable -minimal- amount or ones that would need corrective trims by a professional, ask a knowledgeable horseperson to accompany you (or pay a ferrier or vet to take a look). It is always tricky buying a young horse, you never know how things will pan out, the more knowledge you gain before the purchase the better.

Good Luck

 

[minie812]

I have one of our 09 colts that is very tiny and had straight legs and of course he is going thru HIS major growth spurt

of two inches and has started to toe out some. Of course I have someone very interested in him but wants perfect straight legs so I told them I could not be sure what will happen? Hubby said to just hang on to him and see how he matures for nx year. His sire is straight and so is his dam so I have no worries that he will straighten up. I have a filly that had the most god aweful front legs when we purchased her as a weanling and with balanced trimmings and good feed is straight as a 2 yr old. Of course she is filling out nicely everywhere else too! I have seen beautiful straight foals that looked to developed for there age and by yearling age fall apart too! Genetics help as well as proper feed and trimmings also course that is JMO

 

[minih]

This is where the advice, "Know your seller" comes in to play. I have bought horses and was told, they will straighten up and they did, I took a chance because I trusted who I was buying from. If I doubt the person has a clue, I steer from that buy unless I see something that makes it worth the chance to wait and see. I might come up on the short end of the stick. Then again I might get a great little horse. <<shrug>>

 

[Littleum]

Just a suggestion... but if you're uneasy and not sure what you're looking at, take someone who has seen lots of youngsters with you. Experienced eyes can be really helpful in these moments.

Buying a youngster is ALWAYS a gamble- sometimes they just don't end up the way you had hoped. Someone who has seen thousands of babies over the years will be able to offer you the most sage and practical advice, but even then... it's just a "close your eyes and write the check" sort of thing. If you're not comfortable with that, look at more mature stock.